Mirza Ghasemi – Persian Eggplant

Mirza Ghasemi is an incredibly delicious, remarkably simple, classic Persian eggplant dish. This recipe is totally vegan, though traditionally Mirza Ghasemi is usually made with eggs. (See Variations below)

I was taught this amazing recipe while living with a wonderful family in a small village in Iran, intensively studying Persian vegetarian cooking for 4 weeks and learning Farsi for Foreigners. Twice a day we cooked and feasted on traditional dishes. We snacked on exotic fresh and dried fruits throughout the slow, enjoyable days. Enchanting traditional folk music drifted now and then in the air. The sun set into the intense jagged lines of the mountains each evening.

Okay. That last paragraph was pure fiction. Forgive me. It’d sure be great if that was the true story of how I learned to make Mirza Ghasemi. One day I do hope to visit Iran and live off eggplants and pomegranates. But for now, the politics and my particular passport aren’t promising a Persian adventure anytime soon. In actuality, I discovered this dish not in small town Iran, but in downtown Stuttgart, Germany:

I was visiting some friends recently on a long weekend trip to the south. On our search for a unique and tasty lunch, we happened upon a small-street Persian restaurant, remarkably called, Persian Restaurant. (Ja, ja — literal and obvious naming conventions in Germany.) This eggplant dish jumped out at me from the vegetarian section of the menu. I asked the waitress to describe it, which she did. I anxiously placed my order and continued sipping my black tea in hungry, curious anticipation.

The meal was fantastic. Aubergine-arama, piles of pita bread, heaps of parsley, saffron rice, and that delicious tea! So, I didn’t learn any Farsi, but I did ask the waitress — and then the cook (her mother) — for details on the recipe. Standing on the brink of the kitchen, my first thought was She must be leaving out the secret spices to guard the family recipe! But no, she insisted that the dish is only seasoned with turmeric, salt, and pepper. It wasn’t until yesterday that I discovered she was telling the truth.

Mirza Ghasemi reminds me very much of North Indian Bengan Bhartha; just with fewer spices and more tomato. Look at a world map and you’ll understand it’s no geographical coincidence that the two cultures would share similar dishes!

Mirza Ghasemi – Persian Eggplant

Serves 2 / Time 65 min

1 medium large / 300 g eggplant

2 medium / 1 cup / 130 g tomatoes chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 tspn black pepper ground

1/2 tspn red chili flakesOPTIONAL

3/4 tspn turmeric

3/4 tspn salt

3 Tbs oil

1/4 cup water

fresh parsley or mint leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C / level 7.

Poke several holes in whole eggplant with a fork, coat lightly with oil, roast in oven about 35-45 min. Eggplant will become soft and collapse when done. Allow to cool, peel, discard burnt skin, transfer insides to bowl, chop, mash well.

Hannah, that is a bummer with the eggplant sensitivity. I wonder if Asian eggplants or salting them (to remove some of the bitter oils) makes a difference. Is it an allergy or irritation? Years ago I used to have a mild allergic reaction to eggplant, and similarly to pineapple– weird fuzzy sensation or numbness in my mouth. I’ll be curious to hear how the recipe works out with zucchini instead, please let me know.

I also love this sort of recipe a lot! I have made similar recipes like this one before & loved it too! :) I am so going to make it!
PS: I also have made your zucchini lasagna 2 times & my husbnad Peter & I loved it so much! :) Happy Cooking & eating! ;)

Sophie, that’s great that the zucchini lasagna is such a popular hit! I’m always especially pleased when I hear that non-veg eaters also enjoy the vegan recipes. Let me know how it goes with the persian eggplant. Several people have made it so far and I’ve heard great things!

It certainly is possible to do it with the skin still on, it just tends to put the flavor in a more bitter direction. I’ve experimented with both. Glad you like the recipe! It’s a tasty one, for sure! Good eggplant is great!

I was so delighted to find a Vedic version of Mirza Ghasemi that I subscribed to your site. I cook Vedic vegetarian Iranian cuisine for my husband and have yet to find recipes on the web that are both Vedic and Iranian. I am so grateful! Looking forward to more recipes and advice from you.

Hi Jyoti, I’m thrilled you found the recipe. It’s a great one. It’s actually very similar to Bengan Bhartha, the Indian dish, which is also a favorite of mine I cook often. Thanks for subscribing to the site. I’ll be posting some info soon for the mailing list and on the Facebook page on how to order the cookbook which is coming out next month. Let me know if you cook any other of my recipes, I love to hear it. :-)